Coding Salary Calculator
Estimate your annual salary based on current market data for New Zealand tech roles.
Two years ago, headlines screamed that tech layoffs had killed the coding boom. But if you’re wondering whether learning to code is still worth it in 2026, the answer isn’t what you heard on the news. The truth? Coders are more in demand than ever - just not the way they used to be.
Jobs aren’t disappearing - they’re changing
The big tech layoffs of 2022 and 2023 didn’t erase the need for coders. They just filtered out the fluff. Companies stopped hiring for flashy titles like "AI Specialist" or "Web3 Engineer" and started hiring for people who can fix real problems. Need a website that loads fast on low-end phones? Hire a frontend dev. Need to automate payroll across five countries? Hire a backend engineer. Need to stop your app from crashing during sales? Hire a DevOps engineer.
In New Zealand alone, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment reported over 8,300 open tech roles in late 2025 - up 12% from 2024. That’s not counting roles in healthcare, agriculture, and finance that require coding skills but don’t call themselves "tech jobs." A farmer in Canterbury using drones to map crop health? That’s coded software. A dentist in Auckland using AI to detect cavities? That’s a coder’s work.
What skills are actually hiring right now?
Forget learning every programming language under the sun. Employers aren’t asking for Python wizards or React gurus anymore. They’re asking for people who can ship solutions. The top three skills hiring managers told recruiters they’re looking for in 2025-2026:
- Problem-solving with code - Not just writing code, but understanding the business problem first. Can you explain why a slow API is costing the company $200k a year in lost sales?
- Working with AI tools - Not building AI models, but using GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and AI-powered debuggers to write code 3x faster. The best coders now spend less time typing and more time reviewing, testing, and refining AI-generated code.
- Clear communication - If you can’t explain your code to a non-technical manager, you won’t get promoted. The most in-demand coders are the ones who can translate technical risks into business impact.
Companies like Xero in Wellington and Pushpay in Auckland now list "ability to collaborate with product teams" as a core requirement - not "5 years of JavaScript experience."
Salaries haven’t crashed - they’ve stabilized
Yes, entry-level salaries dropped after the 2022 bubble. But they’ve settled at healthy levels. In Auckland, a junior developer with six months of experience and a solid portfolio now earns between NZ$65,000 and NZ$80,000. Mid-level roles (2-4 years) sit at NZ$95,000-NZ$120,000. Senior roles with cloud or security expertise? Easily NZ$140,000+.
Compare that to 2022, when some startups were offering NZ$100,000 to juniors with no real projects. Those were bubbles. What we have now is a market that pays fairly for actual skill.
And here’s the kicker: remote work has opened doors. A coder in Dunedin can now work for a company in Sydney or London without moving. Salary benchmarks are becoming global - not local.
Who’s hiring? It’s not just tech companies
You don’t need to work for Google or Microsoft to code. In fact, the biggest demand is outside tech:
- Healthcare - Hospitals in Auckland and Christchurch are hiring coders to build patient scheduling systems, analyze medical imaging, and automate lab reports.
- Agriculture - Companies like Zespri and Fonterra use code to track crop yields, predict supply chains, and optimize delivery routes.
- Finance - Banks are automating fraud detection, loan approvals, and customer service bots. They need coders who understand compliance and security.
- Local government - City councils in Wellington and Tauranga are digitizing permits, parking, and waste collection. They pay well and offer stability.
One former teacher in Hamilton switched to coding after taking a six-month bootcamp. Now she builds apps for the Ministry of Education. Her salary? NZ$98,000. No CS degree. Just skills.
Can you learn this without a degree?
Yes. And more employers are okay with it.
A 2025 survey of 200 New Zealand tech employers found that 68% said they’d hire a candidate with no degree if they had a strong GitHub portfolio and could pass a live coding test. The same survey showed that bootcamp graduates with 6-12 months of project work were getting hired at the same rate as university grads - sometimes faster.
Why? Because employers care about what you can do, not where you went to school. A portfolio showing you built a working inventory system for a local shop? That’s worth more than a 3.8 GPA in theoretical computer science.
What’s the catch? The real challenges
It’s not all easy. The market is tougher now - and smarter.
- Entry-level roles are competitive - There are more people learning to code than ever. You need to stand out. That means building real projects, not just following tutorials.
- AI is replacing repetitive tasks - Writing basic CRUD apps? AI can do it in seconds. If your skill set stops at copying code from Stack Overflow, you’ll struggle.
- Continuous learning is non-negotiable - Tools change fast. A framework you learn today might be outdated in 18 months. The best coders treat learning as part of their job, not a one-time course.
The people thriving now are the ones who treat coding like a craft - not a shortcut to a high salary. They build things. They break them. They fix them. They show up every day to get better.
What should you do next?
If you’re thinking about starting:
- Choose one language to start with - Python or JavaScript. Stick with it for 3 months.
- Build one real project - not a to-do list app. Something that solves a problem you see: automate your mum’s grocery list, build a tracker for your local rugby club’s stats, or create a tool that helps small businesses calculate GST.
- Put it on GitHub. Write clear READMEs. Show your thinking.
- Apply to 5 small businesses or startups. Ask if they need help with a tech problem. Most will say yes - even if it’s just for a few hours a week.
- Keep going. The first job is the hardest. After that, your portfolio speaks for itself.
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. You just need to be the one who shows up, builds something, and doesn’t quit.
Is it too late to start coding in 2026?
No. The demand for skilled coders isn’t shrinking - it’s evolving. The people getting hired now aren’t the ones who started 10 years ago. They’re the ones who started last year and built real projects. Age, background, or degree don’t matter as much as your ability to solve problems with code.
Do I need a computer science degree to get hired?
No. While a degree helps in some corporate roles, most small to medium businesses and startups care more about what you can build. A strong portfolio, clean GitHub profile, and ability to communicate your work are more important than a diploma. Over two-thirds of New Zealand tech employers now hire based on skills, not degrees.
How long does it take to get a coding job?
With focused effort, most people land their first job in 6-12 months. The key isn’t how long you study - it’s how much you build. Someone who spends 20 hours a week building real projects will get hired faster than someone who spends 100 hours watching videos. Start small, ship something, and repeat.
Will AI take all the coding jobs?
No - but it will replace coders who only write basic code. AI handles repetitive tasks like boilerplate, debugging simple errors, or generating test cases. The coders who thrive are the ones who use AI as a tool, then apply critical thinking: Is this code secure? Does it meet the user’s real need? Can it scale? The job is shifting from typing to thinking.
What’s the best way to learn coding in 2026?
Learn by doing. Pick a problem you care about - fixing a slow website for your cousin’s bakery, automating your own budget, or tracking your fitness data. Use free resources like freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, or YouTube tutorials to learn the basics, then build. Join local coding meetups in Auckland or Wellington. Get feedback. Fix your mistakes. Repeat. Learning by solving real problems sticks better than any course.
Final thought: It’s not about being a coder - it’s about being a problem-solver
The title "coder" is outdated. What employers need now are people who can take messy, unclear problems and turn them into clean, working solutions. That’s not magic. It’s practice. It’s patience. It’s showing up when the code breaks at 2 a.m. and fixing it - not because you have to, but because you care.
If you’re willing to learn, build, and keep going - you’re not just in demand. You’re exactly what the market needs.
